Page 70 of A Serenade To The Elf Queen
“I can be that guy,” he says after a while.
He moves across the room towards the bed, settling at the edge of it. Something about the act feels like an invitation for me to come closer.
We’re really going to do this. I inhale a sharp breath as I march silently towards him. Instead of crawling onto the bed, I find myself standing in front of him. My heart does an odd dance when I find his eyes focused on me. Even with him sitting down, I barely stand taller than him.
“Can we start our play now?” The silly words jump out before I can stop them.
“Play?” He checks the pendant to see if the translation is correct. I hope he keeps thinking every dumb thing I say is the totem’s fault.
My hands are shaking and unsteady as I place them on his incredible, ripped chest. I know nothing of the art of seduction like the Maidens of Arawynn. I wish Blaire had taught me some tricks on how to initiate this. It was so easy and smooth back in the forest. I start by planting a kiss at the column of his throat, trying to get a reaction from him like I did at the altar.
His eyes darken as he watches me. “Have you done this before?”
My heart ratchets into a thunderous beat at the question. I have done it once. It was such an unpleasant experience I haven’t shared my bed with anyone else until now. But I’m pretty sure myself counts.
“Yes, regularly,” I say with confidence. Wait—it may be the wrong thing to say. Svenn has been imprisoned for ages, from an entirely different era. He might be disappointed that I’m not some blushing virgin.
“I lost my maidenhead years ago,” I confess honestly. From the countless riding sessions, then to an elf in the western infantry after Aerin’s dare. “Would you have preferred a virgin?”
The necklace whirs to translate my words to him.
A dark chuckle escapes his lips, filling the room. “I want you.”
All my reservations leave me when he utters those words.
“Then take me.” My voice shakes.
Be careful what you ask for.His eyes seem to gleam.
In a smooth movement, his hand unclasps the strap behind my neck. A small shiver goes through me when the silky material of the dress pools around my waist. He tugs the pin from my hair, letting the curls flow freely down in waves and pulls back to stare.
The swallow in his throat is almost audible.
Heat fills my cheeks. That look of raw lust on his face is for me. It that makes me feel desired, wanted, and alive. His dark eyes settle on my ears.
“I can cover them if you don’t like them,” I quickly say.
He snarls at the very suggestion. “You are lovely. Perfect in every way.”
Without warning, his mouth captures my breast. I let out a gasp when his tongue rolls over my nipple, sucking hard between his teeth. His hand kneads my other breast, twirling the sensitive bud with his fingers. Excitement settles in my blood, running a thrill straight to my spine.
“You are divine,” he murmurs against my skin. His hands roam the curves and slopes of my body in an unhurried, lazy caress. He adds his mouth to this new torment, and I fight to keep my breathing steady. The feel of his sharp fangs travelingover my skin is truly something else. My arms clutch his neck desperately for support as my legs become useless. Every muscle in me grows taut in anticipation of his next kiss, his next touch.
I’m still reeling from the sensations when he pulls away. A sharp yelp falls from my throat as he lifts me to the bed with casual grace, planting my head softly on the pillow.
“Nel…” he grunts. No one calls me that. An odd sense of comfort fills me at the silly nickname. “Tell me, how would you like to play?”
I’m regretting my choice of words now, but I’m glad he asked that. It restores some semblance of control in me after the Aeonians ripped it away.
I stare into Svenn’s dark eyes and for a moment, we simply exist in each other’s gaze. Knowing that this is the same person I met in the dungeon calms me further. I reach for his face, tracing the sharp outline of his brow down to his nose and mouth. He lets me continue without interruption. My finger freezes the moment I meet his sharp, elongated canine. How in the world had I mistaken him for a human?
“We were interrupted earlier at the altar. Let’s continue our play from there,” I say in a breathy whisper.
He rips the rest of the gown from my body with a rough jerk and just like that I’m laid bare for his viewing pleasure. His eyes make a slow gaze of me from top to bottom. My breasts grow heavy at the attention and the throbbing between my legs reaches a new height.
“You’re unreal, Rhianelle,” he says in a gravelly voice. Only some of the things from his mouth come out elven. It’s getting a little frustrating. A small gasp leaves my throat when he suddenly spreads my legs wide.
Maybe he meant to warn me, but the pendant fails to translate him. He drinks in the sight of me, and I squirm underneath the ferocity of those eyes. I could have sworn I hearda faint growl from him, but his face retains the cool, calm mask. He hooks one of my legs over his shoulder.
