Page 219 of The Ascended
"If we do this,"he conceded, his voice dropping to that dangerous whisper again, "I won't be gentle. I won't treat you like some fragile flower. I'll take you exactly how I want you—hard, demanding, unrelenting. Do you understand?"
"Luckily for you, I don't want gentle."
A slow, wicked smile spread across his face. "You liked teasing me that night," he said, his voice dropping to a register that sent heat spiraling through me. "When you came undone on my desk. Trying to suppress those little sounds that escaped your perfect lips."
His hand moved to my throat. "Do you have any idea how hard it was not to bend you over right then? To take what I wanted?"
I swallowed against his palm, pulse quickening beneath his touch. "Why didn't you?"
He laughed. "Because I knew once I had a taste, I wouldn't be satisfied with just that." His thumb traced my lower lip, eyes following the movement with scorching focus. "I'd want to devour you whole."
"Maybe I want to be devoured," I said.
His eyes darkened further. "Careful what you wish for,starling."
Before I could formulate a response, his mouth crashed down on mine, any pretense of gentleness abandoned. This was no careful exploration, this was possession, pure and primal. His teeth caught my lower lip, the sting drawing a gasp from me that he swallowed hungrily.
His hands moved to the sodden fabric of my dress, tearing at the laces with impatient fingers. "Too many fucking layers," he muttered, frustration evident in every harsh movement.
"I like this dress," I protested, though the charge in my voice belied any real objection.
"I'll buy you a hundred more." His smirk was insufferable, and yet heat bloomed low, thick and undeniable. "But right now, I need it off."
When the bodice finally gave way, he pushed the wet material down roughly, exposing my skin to the cool air of the chamber. His eyes darkened as he took in the sight of me, his gaze trailing fire across my flesh.
"Beautiful," he murmured, almost to himself. Then his expression shifted, a wickedness replacing the brief moment of reverence. "Ever since I tasted you, I’ve wanted more." His hand moved to cup my breast, thumb circling the hardened peak. "Here." His touch trailed lower, over my ribs, my stomach, to the apex of my thighs. "And here."
He shed his own clothing, revealing the sculpted planes of his body. In the flickering light of the brazier, he looked like something carved from shadow and flame—beautiful and terrible and utterly overwhelming.
When he returned to me, it was with a single-minded focus that stole my breath. His hands and mouth seemed to be everywhere at once, learning my body with ruthless efficiency. Where before he might have been careful, now he was demanding, drawing reactions from me with the confidence of a god who knew exactly what he was doing.
His teeth grazed my nipple, the shock of it arching my back offthe bed. "Sensitive," he observed, satisfaction in his tone. "Good." He repeated the action on the other side, harder this time, followed by the hot suction of his mouth that had me gasping.
One hand slid down my stomach, fingers splaying possessively across my skin before moving lower. When he felt how wet I’d become, a low, animalistic sound rumbled from his chest.
"So ready," he murmured, his fingers exploring. "So fucking eager."
I bit my lip, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of hearing how affected I was. His eyes narrowed at my silence, accepting the unspoken challenge.
"You think you can stay quiet?" he asked, his voice deceptively soft. "Let's see about that."
Without warning, he thrust two fingers inside me, curling them to find that perfect spot that had stars exploding behind my eyelids. A cry tore from my throat before I could stop it, my body clenching around the intrusion.
"That's it," he encouraged, his thumb circling my clit as his fingers continued their relentless assault. "Let me hear you."
When his mouth returned to my breast, teeth and tongue working in concert with his hand between my thighs, I found myself clutching at his shoulders, nails digging into his skin.
"That's right," he murmured, his voice rough with satisfaction. "Mark me. Let me feel how much you want this."
Just as I approached the edge, he withdrew completely, leaving me gasping. Before I could protest, he flipped me onto my stomach with alarming ease, dragging me to my knees.
"Arch for me," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
I complied, a mixture of anticipation and nervousness flooding through me. Behind me, I could hear his breathing, feel the warmth of his body as he positioned himself between my spread thighs.
His hand stroked down my spine, almost gentle until it reached my hip, where his grip tightened to the point of delicious pain. "Youhave no idea how beautiful you look," he said. "On your knees for me. Waiting to be taken."
I felt him lean over me, his chest pressing against my back as he whispered in my ear. "But this isn’t enough."
