Page 21 of A Serenade To The Elf Queen
He could be your mate.
Our eyes lock and my skin tingles under his piercing gaze.
The summoning becomes unbearable. Before my brain can reconsider the decision, I run up the dais and climb into his lap. I hear his sharp intake of breath as I settle on his thigh. The male stares at me with an arched brow.
Gods, he is more devastating up close.
“Umm… Hello, again.”
The stranger watches me intensely, his gaze falling on my sword for the briefest of moments. This is a horrible mistake. He may think this is an attempt for his life. But he makes no move to remove my weapon from me. In fact, he’s not the least bit intimidated by it. I cast the sword aside immediately.
His eyes trail the clattering blade on the floor before they slowly return to look into mine. There’s a certain dark menace to his beautiful face. My pulse hammers wildly in my throat. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.
“I’m sorry, but I have to know,” I say quietly. I raise my trembling fingers to brush a long strand of hair behind his ear.
I inhale a deep, sharp gasp.
His ears are flat and…human. This guy is not my mate. Why did I think I’d be blessed with such a precious bond?
I swallow nervously as his chilling eyes now focus on me. Fear overtakes me once again. Despite the ripple of threat he possesses, the longing doesn’t fade. He is beautiful, dark, and forbidden.
And I want him.
I wonder if his lips taste as sinful as they look. Well, it’s just a dream anyway. If I die, I die. I lean down, brushing my lips against his.
This is extremely awkward, especially when he is not kissing me back. I slowly pull away to find his dark eyes sparkling back at me in surprise. He pulls me closer against him, his hand caressing the small of my back. For a moment, I think he might kiss me. But instead of crushing his lips to mine, he leans in to whisper in my ear.
“Thief.”His voice is a low rumble. I feel it deep inside my chest.“Give me back what you stole.”
Panic flies through me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, forcing myself to calm down. “You have the wrong person.”
His lips stretch into a handsome, wicked smile at my answer. I want to feel it against my lips again. His calloused hand brushes my arm, slow and sensuous.“We meet again, little fawn.”
He remembers me.
“Do you make it a habit of jumping into people’s laps and kissing them?”
The question terrifies me, especially when he’s looking at me like that.
“Yes. I do this every time,” I say simply.
He gives me a long, deliberate stare. It sends my heart racing.
“Careful, little fawn. You make for easy prey.”His voice is low and thrilling as he kisses my collarbone. My body sparks to life at that touch.“Did you miss me?”
I’m not going to allow him the satisfaction of the truth. He called me a thief after all.
“Not really,” I say, lifting my shoulder in a careless shrug. A nervous jitter goes through me at his dark gaze.
“A thief and a liar.”He snickers.“Fine, I’ll play.”
The stranger turns me around easily as though I weigh nothing. His strong arm wraps around my middle, holding mefirm against the hard ridges of his chest. This position is…unfair. I can’t do anything to him.
His free hand glides to cup my breast. My body hums with desire when he starts kneading it, his thumb flicking and toying with my hardened nipple.
Heavens have mercy. This feels too good.
He buries his face in the crook of my neck, his teeth grazing over the sensitive skin there. I squirm against his hand, but the grip he has on me is unyielding. There is no escaping him.
